Refrigerating apparatus



y 1930. L. M. KEIGHLEY 1,758,227

- REFRIGERATING APPARATUS ori inal Filed Oct. 31, 1927 so I Patented May 13, 1930 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE LLOYD M. KEIGHLEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed October 31, 1927, Serial No. 229,959. Renewed November 25, 1929.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to a novel form of refrigerating element.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved form of refrigerating element which is effective to cool circulating air in a refrigerating cabinet and to freeze ice for table use.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide an improved evaporator of large ice freezing capacity.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a simple and economical arrangement of refrigerating duct-s enclos ing a freezing space and arranged to withdraw heat from the interior of the freezing space.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clear- 1y shown.

' In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the refrigerating cabinet showing the refrigerating element in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a refrigerating elementcorresponding to Fig. 1 .with the ice containers removed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the refrigerating element; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Evaporators for the two purposes of chilling circulating air to cool a refrigerating cabinet and for freezing ice for table use have heretofore been constructed in accordance with the application of Jesse G. King, Serial No. 666,257, filed October 3, 1923, and usually include a header which forms a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, and a number of loops of tubing depending from the header for circulating refrigerant. These loops are arranged to enclose a freezing space or freezing zone, in which are placed shallow pans for freezing ice for table use, and also extend outwardly beyond the freezing space to chill circulating air for cooling the cabinet. The freezing space is comparatively shel- 50 tered from circulating air, one set of tubes being provided principally for ice freezing, and another set for the principal purpose of cooling the circulating air.

My invention is concerned among other things, with shortening the time required to freeze ice in evaporators of the character just described without impairing the air cooling characteristics of such evaporators.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a refrigerating cabinet which is divided into a cooling compartment 11 and a storage compartment 12 by a partition 13 which is provided with openings 14 and 15 for the circulation of air between the compartments. A refrigerating element generally'denoted by 16 is placed within the refrigerating compartment and is supplied with refrigerant through ducts 17 and 18 from any suitable refrigerating apparatus, not shown.

Preferably the refrigerating element is in the form of an evaporator including a header 20 forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant supplied thereto through the tube 17 un der the control of a float valve within the header, not shown. The header is provided with ducts 21 depending from itand extending laterally somewhat to enclose a freezing space 22. Other ducts 23 depend from the header and extend laterally beyond the ducts 21 so as to be exposed to and effectively cool the air circulating through the refrigerating compartment.

Considerable manufacturing advantage results from joining each of the ducts 21 to a duct 23 by connecting. ducts 24, that is, making a single loop of pipe serve as one duct 23 and one duct 21. Preferably all of the loops thus far described are of an identical shape, which is asymmetrical with respect to the vertical axial plane of the header. In assembling, alternate loops are reversed so as to bring the ducts 21 within theducts 23 and to alternate ducts 21 and 23 along the header.

Lmake the freezing space of considerable volume, and provide means for withdrawing heat from the interior of the space, in the form of one or more refrigerant ducts 30 extending into the space. A preferred manner of making the ducts 30 is to provide a' number of pipe loops 31, generally similar to the loops 21--2423, but each having a portion formed into a horizontal loop 30 'ex-' tending wlthln the freezing space, as shown best in Fig. 4. Preferably this loop is formed in the portion corresponding to the duct 23,

that is, the portion of the loop which extends remote from the ducts 21, in order to provide sulficient room for the bends 34 between the plane of the ducts 23 and the plane of the ducts 21 and thus permit the loop 30 to be quite flat within the freezing space.

In the freezing space are placed a number of thermally conducting supports or shelves 35 for receiving ice-making containers 36, each of such shelves being supported on and thermally connected to one of the loops 34'. Preferably each shelf is formed as part of a rectangular compartment or sleeve'37 which receives the ice-making container, and if desired such loops 34 as lie between two adja: cent compartments may be soldered to both of them. 1

It will be seen from Fig. 4 that each of the loops 31 which includesa loop 30 has a large surface in thermal contact with the compartments for the ice-making containers. ThlS arrangement enables me to providea large heat exchange area for withdrawing the heat from the interior of the freezing space by the use of-a relatively small number, of speciallyformed conduits. All of the con duit loops which do not include loopssuch as'34 are exactly alike, and this eifectsa c0ning apparatus comprising a refrigerant supsiderable saving in manufacture. Iain thus enabled to produce economically a refrigerating element which has a compact freezing space of large ice freezing capacity, surrounded by a device which effectively cools. clrculatingair to refrigerate a storage com;

partment.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

-1. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus including a refrigerantsupply device and a plurality of conduitslconnected in parallel circuit relation thereto for circulating refrigerant, each of the conduits having a portion cooperating with the corresponding portions of-the other conduits to define a freezing'space and a portion extending remote from the freezing space for cooling circulating air, certain of the conduits having portions extending into the freezing space.

2. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus including a refrigerant supply device and a plurality of conduits connected in parallel circuit relation thereto for circulating refrigerant, each of the conduits having a portion cooperatin with the corresponding portions of the ot er conduits to define a freezing space and a portion extending remote from the'freezing space for cooling circulating air, certain of the portions remote from the freezing space including portions extending into the freezin space.

3. A refrigerating element for refi'igerating apparatus including in combination a refrigerant supply device and a plurality of conduits connectedin parallel circuit relation thereto for circulating refrigerant, the conduits having portions cooperating to de&

fine a freezing space, each of the conduits surrounding said space and having a ortion ex- I portions extending withtion thereto for circulating refrigerant, the

conduits having portions cooperating to define a freezing space, and a plurality of compartments for ice-making containers within the freezing space, e'achof the conduits sur-- rounding said compartments and having a portion extending remote from the compartments for cooling circulating air, each of the last 'mentioned portions including portions extending between the compartments.

5. A refrigerating element for refrigeratply device and a plurality of loops of conduit 'conn'ected'in parallel circuit relation thereto for circulating refrigerant, each of the loops having a portion cooperating with corresponding portions of the other loops to define a freezing space and having a portlon extending remote. from the freezing s ace for cooling circulating air, certain of t e loops having portions extending within the freezing space. e

"6-. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising a refrigerant supply device and a pluralityof loops of conduit connected in parallel circuit relation thereto for circulating refrigerant, each of the loops having a portion cooperating with corresponding portions of the other loops to define a freezing space andhaving a portion extending remote from the freezing space for cooling circulating air, and a pluralityof compartments for ice-making containers within 4 the freezing space, certain of the loops having portions extending between the compartments.

7. A refrigerating element for refrigerat ing apparatus comprising in combination a header forming a reservoir for liquid refrig-- erant and. a plurality of conduits connected,

to the header in parallel circuit relation, said conduits including portions arranged in two oups disposed opposite to each other to dene a freezing space, one or more'of the conduits having horizontal loops extending within the freezing space so defined. 8. A. refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a header forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant and a plurality of loops of conduit connected to the header in parallel circuit relation, said loops including portions arranged in two groups disposed opposite to each other to define a freezing space, some of the loops including horizontal loops extending into the freezing space.

9. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a header forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, a plurality of conduits connected to the header in parallel circuit relation, said conduits being arranged in two groups disposed opposite to each other to define a freezing space, and a plurality of supports for icemaking containers within the freezing space, some of the conduits having horizontal loops extending' between the supports.

. 10. Arfrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a -,p'1urality of'vertically extending conduits ar-- --ranged in two groups disposed opposite to each other to define a freezing space, adapted to receive a horizontally extending ice-make 3 ing container, means connecting said ducts with one another, certain of said conduits having a horizontal loop extending within the space so defined. 11. A refrigerating element for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a plurality of vertically extendin conduits arranged in two groups dispose opposite to each other to definea freezing space, a plurality of horizontally extending supports for 4 ice-making containers within the freezing space, means connecting said duets with one another, certain of said conduits having a I horizontal loop extending between the supports.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

LLOYD M. KEIGHLEY. 

